After keeping her new music locked up for quite some time, Cardi B has finally dropped her highly-anticipated debut album, titled Invasion of Privacy. Coming off of the success of her hip-hop anthem “Bodak Yellow”, along with her notable features on “Motorsport” by Migos and “No Limit” by G-Eazy, it’s easy to say that expectations are high with her next move in her music career.
Aside from her high-profile features and smash hit singles, the conversation around Cardi B’s authenticity as an artist has catapulted her into the spotlight, with her many interviews and public appearances highlighting her uniqueness as a celebrity and as an artist. While there is no question about whether or not she can rap, or if she deserves her spot on the charts, the ever-present doubts surrounding her fame are a continuous theme throughout Invasion of Privacy.
Cardi B is strikingly honest in her hard-hitting lyrics, holding nothing back. Her willingness to touch on personal and often unflattering topics in Invasion of Privacy demonstrates Cardi B’s openness with her fans, and how comfortable she is with her past, present and future self.
The first track, “Get Up 10”, provides a striking stylistic resemblance to Meek Mill’s “Dreams And Nightmare’s (Intro)”; the track stands out as one of the most impressive cuts on the project. Its success is largely credited to its lyrical integrity, its messaging speaking to Cardi B’s come up from difficult beginnings, and how it’s shaped her outlook as an artist. The track immediately following, “Drip”, featuring Migos, provides a stark contrast in style. “Drip” matches closely to the sonic landscape of the Migos’ album Culture II – its heavy influence from Culture II could very well make it this summer’s next big trap anthem, as Migos saw huge success with the release of Culture II earlier in the year. In regards to Cardi B’s other trap anthems on Invasion of Privacy – “Money Bag”, “She Bad” and “I Do” featuring SZA – the tracks all share a similar style. Invasion of Privacy also brings in many notable features that include Chance The Rapper, 21 Savage, YG, Kehlani, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin.
Overall, Invasion of Privacy is a mixed bag full of different moods and styles spliced throughout the album, which could be considered both a positive and negative aspect to the project. There’s no doubt that in terms of media hype, Cardi B absolutely lives up to expectations with her delivery, and with the honest (and sometimes personal) topics she discusses throughout the project. Early standout tracks are: “Get Up 10”, “Drip”, “Bodak Yellow” “I Like It” and “Money Bag”.
It should be said that there are a few tracks that fall short in terms of quality and execution, such as “Best Life” featuring Chance The Rapper, “Ring” featuring Khelani, and “Thru The Phone”. Aside from those so-so tracks, the album as a whole is slightly lacking in a cohesive style, especially when considering the overall sonic landscape and storyline. Tracks such as “I Like It” and and “Best Life” seem as though they were included as part of the album just to be “radio hits”.
When listening from start to finish, individual tracks shine with outstanding delivery and catchiness, yet the album cannot stand on its feet as a cohesive project when the tracks often clash with each other. The messaging in each track struggles to carry smoothly to the next, leaving an overall feeling of choppiness, as if the tracks are from many different visions – versus a smooth ride the listener should expect from an artist of Cardi B’s caliber.
Overall Grade: B
Cardi B is both honest and fearless through her powerful messaging to her massive fanbase; not to disappoint, she delivers a punchy, fun project that will have a little something for everyone. Despite its downfalls with its cut-and-paste style, Invasion of Privacy‘s catchy singles and star features mean this album is definitely worth the hype. Listen on your preferred streaming platform below:
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